Health, Welfare and Family Committee to hold a meeting in Riga

On 26-27 March 2026, the meeting of the Health, Welfare and Family Committee of the Baltic Assembly will be held in Riga, Latvia. Discussion will revolve around ensuring universal health coverage, regional cooperation in addressing declining birth rates, and advancing mental health. 

Cooperation and shared solutions in ensuring universal health coverage and access in the Baltic States

Chaired by Irja Lutsar, Chair of the Health, Welfare and Family Committee, the first session of the meeting will discuss shared solutions in ensuring universal health coverage and access in the Baltic States. This will include topics such as similarities and differences in health coverage systems across the Baltic States, equal access to healthcare across regions, the role of cross-border healthcare data exchange, and more. 

Baltic Population at a Crossroads: Regional Cooperation in Addressing Declining Birth Rates

Continuing, the second session of the meeting will address declining birth rates in the region. Discussions will include the differences in family policy and support systems, how to coordinate and harmonise family benefits across the Baltic States, among other topics.

Additionally, Nerijus Černiauskas, Economist at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of Vilnius University, will provide an introductory report on the effects of childbirth on parents’ earnings in the Baltic States. 

Together for Well-Being of the Baltic States: Advancing Mental Health Through Regional Cooperation

The final session of the meeting will touch on advancing mental health through regional cooperation. Some of the key topics to be discussed will include the current status of mental health in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, cross-border mental health strategies, and data-sharing and joint research initiatives in this matter.